The Jets coach wandered the lobby of the Boca Raton Resort and Club, looking for lunch at the NFL owners meetings on Tuesday when a fan no older than 12 approached him outside the Lucca restaurant.

“You better bring back Ryan Fitzpatrick,” the kid said in a stern tone.

Bowles laughed and said, “We’re trying.”

“Absolutely no Geno. He stinks,” the kid said, waving his hand in front of his nose, “and no Kaepernick either.”

Bowles shook his head and said, “I think I should go out for lunch.”

Bowles fled the hotel, but there is no escape these days for the Jets from the cloud that is hanging over this offseason. The team needs to find a way to bring back Fitzpatrick at quarterback or it will have taken a giant step backward in 2016.

Bowles said the Jets have Plans B, C and D if Fitzpatrick does not return. Those stand for Bad, Crappy and Disaster. And don’t even bring up Plan G – as in Geno Smith. If ol’ No. 7 jogs out of the tunnel at MetLife Stadium as the starting quarterback in September, the boos from East Rutherford will be heard from East Hampton to East Stroudsburg.

During this contract standoff, a common refrain from Jets fans has been that Fitzpatrick has nowhere else to go. I would argue that the Jets have nowhere else to go. The Browns signed Robert Griffin III on Thursday, taking that semi-attractive option and the leverage that came with it away from the Jets. Now, where do they turn?

Cleveland may try to trade veteran Josh McCown, but would you want the Jets to give up a draft pick for a quarterback with an 18-39 record who turns 37 in July? The Jets could wait until the Browns cut him and then pick him up on the cheap, but this hardly feels like an upgrade from Fitzpatrick. Brian Hoyer is a similar, albeit younger, option.

Paxton LynchAP

There is a thought the Buccaneers could trade Mike Glennon. He has potential, but again you would be giving up a draft pick, something the Jets can’t afford to do. They are starting this draft with just six picks. They should be looking to add picks, not giving them away.

There is the crowd that wants them to draft a quarterback. ESPN’s Todd McShay had them taking Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch in his mock draft Thursday. Lynch is most likely going to be the best quarterback available when the Jets first select at No. 20. If the Jets go this route, their quarterback room would consist of Smith, Lynch and Bryce Petty – a reject and two projects.

The Jets like Petty and are anxious to see his development this spring and summer, but he is not ready to start in their eyes.

All roads lead back to Fitzpatrick. The problem is the contract. A league source said the Jets would like to do a contract that contains incentives, but Fitzpatrick’s camp has resisted this idea. The Jets initially offered a contract in the neighborhood of $7 million per year, a lowball offer for a quarterback who threw a franchise-record 31 touchdowns last year.

Mike Maccagnan is going to have to up his offer at some point. The 2016 season depends on it. Just ask Bowles’ little friend in Florida.

As Bowles prepared to walk away, the young Jets fan put his finger to his temple and said, “Remember what I told you.”